Beautiful Disaster
by whydontyouneedme
Summary: Set during Bite Club. Shane's anger is taking its toll on his relationship with Claire and he is hiding deep dark secrets from the ones he loves. Can his friends relieve him of his anger or will the return of an old enemy change everything forever? My first fanfic! Please read and review! This is re-uploaded as I had problems with the other one. Thanks : x x
1. Chapter 1

He stared at his reflection in the mirror and stared at the person looking back at him. This wasn't him. He had changed, and not for the better. He didn't understand where all the anger came from. One minute he was content, the next so full of rage that he couldn't even see a foot in front of him with his red-tinted vision. That's why he stormed out the way he did. He couldn't take it. He couldn't pretend anymore, pretend he was still normal. He wasn't. He knew that, and deep down he knew they knew that too. He should never have joined that club. From the moment he walked in the door he felt a part of him awaken, ignite, burn inside him. It was still burning now: a pain that grew more concentrated with every dark thought that entered his mind, a pain that he had tried so hard to fight. Well he had had enough. This was it. This was his life now. There was no going back.

He shut his eyes tightly and ground his teeth, coming to terms with the realisation. He couldn't tell them. Not yet. But this was a good thing. His ticket out of hell. A way to forget his past and present and put all his energy into focusing on his future. He needed this. _They _needed this. And he would do it.

He ran the tap and sprayed his face with cold water. He needed the swelling to go down before he went home. He knew this was a lost cause. He could go to the bar. Talk to the other guys. They would know what to do. They could help him.

He lifted his t-shirt over his head and skimmed his sides with his hands. The bruises would fade, unlike the memories permanently imprinted in his brain. The images that, whenever he closed his eyes burned the inside of his eyelids. The images that kept him awake at night. He had had two good things in his life. One was gone and the other was slowly slipping out of his grip. A wave of jealousy ripped through him when he thought about it.

He pushed the image to the back of his brain and walked over to the small fridge. He looked inside at the black sports bottles neatly aligned. He grabbed the one nearest to him and forced the cap up. He took two heavy gulps and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. He sat on the small cot, too small for any of the men here. He finished his sports bottle before putting his head in his hands. The anger inside of him was so great and he couldn't fight it. He clenched the bottle still in his hand until he heard a crack. He looked up from the ground and at his hands. Did he just do that? He threw the bottle to the corner of the room. He was dangerous, too dangerous to be around them. He could snap at any moment. He couldn't go home. He would stay here. He doubted they would even notice he was gone.

He picked up his shirt and pulled it back over his head, ignoring the pain he felt when he stretched. He walked back over to the mirror, ran the tap and splashed his face with water again. He shook his hands dry, walked to the door and left. But not without slamming it first.


	2. Chapter 2

I stumbled through the portal brushing ash off me. My boss was getting crazier everyday. I pulled my hair from its ponytail on my head, laughing to myself as I made my way to the kitchen. Eve and Michael were sitting at the dinner table, Eve eating chilli and Michael drinking… something from an opaque cup.

Eve looked up and smiled. 'Hey Claire, how was your day?'

'Pretty crazy… Myrnin decided to burn the paper he didn't want and nearly set Bob on fire. When I left he was sat in the corner cradling him and crying.' I replied while smiling at the memory. 'Hey is Shane home yet?'

'No… I haven't seen him since yesterday morning. What time did he get home last night?' Eve asked me.

'I don't know, I must have been asleep.' I said while avoiding eye contact. Neither of them knew that he didn't come home last night and by the looks of things he wouldn't be home tonight either. I attempted to smile at Eve and excused myself to shower.

Shane had been acting really erratic lately and I had no idea why. Every time I confronted him about it he got angry and said it was nothing and I should stop being so sensitive. To be honest, I was scared. I had never seen him like this before. Sure, I had seen Shane angry, but nowadays it seems like he is angry all the time.

A week ago I came home and Michael asked me how work was. I told him about mine and Myrnin's escapades and Shane went off on one, accusing me of only ever talking about him and how I was oblivious to my boss' feelings towards me. He stormed out of the kitchen and out the front door. I didn't see him again until the next morning when we met in the hallway when I was on her way out of the bathroom. He didn't so much as look at me. Eve said it was just a phase and all guys did this. But you didn't see Michael getting aggressive for no reason.

I pulled my phone out of her pocket and looked at myself in the bathroom mirror. I had dark circles under her eyes. I had been loosing sleep, worrying about Shane, worrying about college, everything. When MIT had called the first thing I wanted to do was tell Shane, but when he got home he just ate dinner and went straight to his room. It wasn't until I heard him sneak out of the house after midnight that I knew something was seriously wrong.

This had become a regular occurrence for Shane. If he wasn't sneaking out at night he was sneaking in. The few times he had woken me up I could tell he wasn't himself. He was either so angry that she could feel the rage rolling off him in waves or was so drunk he didn't even notice she had opened her door to look at him. Now he wasn't even coming home.

Maybe I could get Michael to talk some sense into him. No. That wouldn't work. He would end up hitting Michael and becoming defensive. I knew deep down that he still hadn't accepted Michael as a vampire.

I dialled Shane's number. It rang three times before I heard his pre-recorded voice. Perfect. So now he was hanging up on me.

'I give up' I said out loud. 'I don't know how much longer I can do this.

I turned on the shower and waited for it to heat up before stepping under and letting the heat uncoil my ever-tense muscles.

My eyes shot open when I heard a bang. Someone was in the house. I looked over at my clock. 3:30 am. I listened again. They were in the kitchen. I could here the footsteps. The cupboards were opening and closing. Shit. Something wasn't right… I could feel it. I grabbed a hoodie from the end of my bed and my phone from my nightstand. I dialled 911 but didn't press the call button. Surely Michael would have heard the noises. I got out of bed trying to stay as quiet as possible. I could hear voices coming from downstairs. Maybe Michael was already down there.

I opened my door a crack and peered down the hallway, clutching my phone in my hand. I looked around for something I could use in self-defence. Shit. Why did I get rid of that baseball bat? I slipped out into the hallway and looked towards Michaels door. Should I wake him? I walked along the hallway towards the stairs. The voices got louder but it wasn't what I thought. They were coming from the television. I walked down the stairs only to see Shane lounging on the couch, a beer in his hand.

'Shane?' I whispered. He turned his head towards me and his eyes found mine for a few seconds before they turned back to the TV. I walked around to the front of the sofa ready to confront him. When I got there I was shocked at what I saw. I couldn't see before because the lights were out, but now in the light of the TV I could see the state of Shane's face. And it wasn't good. There was a dark bruise forming along his cheekbone and a long gash above his eyebrow, dried blood surrounding it. His eyes were so bloodshot they looked naturally red. He had been fighting and drinking. Not a good combination.

'You scared the shit out of me.' I said, in shock from the state of his appearance. He lifted the bottle to his mouth and took a slow sip.

'I was out' he said, eyes never leaving the television.

'Till 3:30 in the morning?' I challenged. His eyes came to me, looked me up and down before returning to the TV. 'You're drunk aren't you? For Gods sake Shane! And getting into a fight? Smart move.' I said sarcastically.

Something flared in his eyes and his head snapped towards me.

'That's none of your business, Claire' he said through gritted teeth, managing to keep eye contact with me for more than a few seconds.

'You can just disappear for days and not answer my phone calls. You cant just turn up in the middle of the night with bruises and cuts on your face Shane. That's not cool with me. You know better than most of us that it is not safe out there at night.' I was raising my voice now, getting angry at his bluntness and ignorance of the situation. He just continued to stare at me. 'Whatever. I am going back to bed. I will see you tomorrow I guess.'

His eyes just stared at the figure on the television screen. I was halfway up the stairs when he spoke.

'You don't control me. No one does.' I looked back at him but he hadn't moved. I made my way back up the stairs and into my room, locking the door behind me. Sleep didn't come easily after our conversation. I was too busy being angry with Shane. Tomorrow I would talk to him properly when he had sobered up. Things were going to change. And I didn't care if I hurt myself doing it.


	3. Chapter 3

Going to the bar was a mistake. He knew that. But he couldn't help himself. As soon as he walked through the door and saw Rad and the others sat in their corner he was sucked in. He should have turned around right there and gone home to his friends, but the atmosphere was drawing him in.

He signalled to the bartender to get him a drink. The bartender, Chase he thought his name was, gave a quick nod, avoiding eye contact. He went to college with his girlfriend. He was in her quantum physics class. A native. He could tell by the leather band around the bartender's wrist.

He walked toward the table where the guys were sat. Rad looked up and gave him an acknowledging nod. He grabbed a chair and sat, taking in his surroundings. He glanced over to a group of girls standing at the bar. One of them looked around and winked at him. He quickly diverted his gaze to Chase, trying to see if his beer was on its way. When he saw the bartender walking over to him he stole another glance over at the girls, taking in their long tanned legs.

Sandro looked up at him.

'You in?' he said with a slight grin playing on his lips.

'What?' he replied, he had been distracted and wasn't paying attention to the men's plotting.

'Jeez, have you not been listening. We have a plan, one that will take down Vassily and the main guy behind this fighting shit. '

This was bad. He knew no one should go up against Vassily. Chase came over and put his beer on the table.

'Hey, pretty boy' called a man named Kyle, who was sporting a buzz cut and had a tattoo of barbed wire winding around his neck, 'bring us some scotch. Lots of it. Pronto.'

You could tell by the look on Chase's face that he knew Kyle wasn't to be messed with. The muscle flickering in Kyle's jaw was only a small hint.

'Be right with you' Chase replied, face hard. He didn't appreciate being spoken to like that but was in no position to challenge the man. He had a business to run.

'So when do we put this plan into action?' Sandro said, his mouth opening into a smile wide enough to expose a set of crooked, yellow-stained teeth.

'Not yet' Kyle sneered, not liking Sandro's claim to superiority. 'We need to give them what they want first. After that we can take control. The vamps won't know what hit 'em.'

Chase walked back over with two bottles of scotch and about 10 glasses on a tray. By this time he had finished his beer and was developing a taste for something stronger. All this talk of vamps was making his temper flare.

Kyle seized the bottle and poured the bronze liquid into the glasses.

'Drink, men.' They all lifted a glass and raised it in a silent promise. He joined in, still not sure of the plan, but anything to take down the bloodsuckers. He drank the contents in his glass, feeling the burn in his throat but not caring. With the vamps gone, they would be free. He could leave. And never come back.

His glass was hastily refilled and he drank the contents quickly. After three more glasses and some casual banter between the men, he felt a presence in the bar. He knew who it was as soon as she walked through the door. She had a glow about her, one that caused the eyes of every man in the bar to focus on her. She ignored the gazes and focused her attention on him.

'Shane.' Her words came out in a purr and hypnotized him. His eyes couldn't leave hers. 'I need to talk to you. Alone.'

There was a glint in her eye. He knew that he shouldn't go with her, but he couldn't help himself. He rose from his chair while finishing his scotch, barely aware of the dizzy feeling that told him he had drunken to much, and followed her out the front door, aware of the eyes following them the whole way.

She turned to him, wearing a smile so bright and beautiful he was sure he was dreaming. The feeling of guilt he felt in his stomach didn't register in his brain.

'You have a fight tomorrow' she said, her voice so soft he was sure she wasn't real. 'Jester has demanded a rematch.'

He couldn't look away from her eyes. He had never seen eyes that colour before.

'Go home now. Rest. We need you at your best tomorrow.' She leaned forward. Their faces so close he could to move his face forward only a centimetre before their lips touched.

'Shane. Did you hear me?' she whispered. He nodded. A small action that earned him his new favourite smile.

She put her hands on either side of his face. He never knew who made the movement forward but in the next moment her lips were on his. He froze. He knew this wasn't right but he couldn't remember why. Her lips were so soft; he had to double check to see if they were there.

She pulled away and winked at him. There was a flash of red in her eye, one that didn't register with him until later.

'Go home and rest. Dream about me, Shane.' He knew he would.

She kissed his forehead and walked away. He watched her until he could no longer see her sleek, elegant frame. Once he was sure she wasn't going to come back, he turned around and made his way home.

He didn't care that it was dark. The memory of the kiss burned in his brain, arousing feelings around his body he had never felt before. He didn't care she was a vampire. He didn't care that she was everything he didn't want.

* * *

The walk home was short and under normal circumstances he would run, avoiding the vamps, but tonight he took his time, sorting his brain.

He had drunk too much; his head was pounding and his body felt weak. He needed to sleep it off. His mind and body needed preparation for tomorrow.

Halfway home a thought entered his mind. Something he hadn't given a thought to in two days. Claire. He pulled his phone out of his pocket. He had been ignoring her calls. Eve and Michaels, too. He stopped walking. A familiar feeling filled his stomach. Guilt. He hadn't been around much the last few weeks. He had been caught up in the fight. He had neglected his friends and, more importantly, his girlfriend. Their conversations over that last few weeks had been brief and the arguments had increased.

No doubt Claire was worried. She worried about everything. His recent actions were not helping. But then he remembered where the majority of his anger came from. Myrnin. He had feelings for Claire and there was nothing he could do about it.

He picked up his pace, the anger surging through him causing him to walk faster. He hated him and Claire didn't care about that. She cared about Myrnin. Sometimes too much he thought. That pissed him off. Big time.

If Claire ever cheated on him with Myrnin, he would kill the bastard. He had his suspicions that it was already happening.

From a small alleyway a figure appeared. The smell that came off him made his stomach turn. He saw the man's red eyes in the moonlight and immediately put up his guard. Adrenaline raced through his veins.

'You've been drinking, boy. Bit young aren't you? No matter. I am sure you will still be delicious.' A grin spread across the vampires face. The vampire lunged forward but he backhanded him into the wall. The vampire stayed down for a few seconds before rising. He could see the moonlight glinting off the vampire's fangs. The man moved so fast he didn't have time to register the movement. The bloodsucker threw him against a wall. His face impacted with the wall and he felt warm liquid trickle down from his eyebrow. He saw red. He stood up and went for the leech. He went to punch him but the vampire ducked and punched him right under the eye. The vampire laughed. That pissed him off. He punched the bloodsucker and got him on the ground. He repeatedly kicked the man. He bent down lower to the ground and looked at the leech.

'Stay the fuck away from me.' He turned around and ran the rest of the way home.

* * *

He reached the front door of the Glass House and pulled his key from his pocket. He hadn't been home in two days.

When he opened the door, the lights were off and the house was quiet. He closed the door behind him, making no effort to be quiet. He had to take his anger out on something.

He walked to the kitchen, opening and closing cupboards looking for something to eat. When he got to the fridge he noticed the beer on the shelf. He grabbed one and pulled the top off with his teeth.

He couldn't sleep. He was wound too tight. He stumbled into the living room. The excessive amounts of alcohol in his bloodstream were starting to take affect.

He heard a noise from upstairs. Great. Someone was awake. He turned on the television and put the channel on a mindless sitcom, not paying attention. He heard someone walking down the stairs.

'Shane?' he heard someone whisper. He turned around to see his girlfriend standing in a hoodie and shorts. He held her stare for a few seconds before turning back to the television. He couldn't talk to her right now. He was too angry. She moved around to the front of the couch, trying to get his attention.

'You scared the shit out of me.' He didn't respond. He just took a sip of his beer and continued to stare at the figures on the television screen. A few seconds past and she didn't say anything but he could feel her eyes burning into his skull.

'I was out.' He replied, providing no explanation to his whereabouts.

'Till 3:30 in the morning?' To be honest, he hadn't even noticed the time. He had been distracted. 'You're drunk aren't you? For Gods sake Shane! And getting into a fight? Smart move.' She was really getting on my last nerve now.

'That's none of your business, Claire.' He replied gritting his teeth together, attempting to gain control of the anger that was threatening to come out. He lifted his eyes to hers and glared at her. There was such a difference between her eyes, filled with worry and anger and the eyes he was looking into an hour ago.

'You can't just disappear for days and not answer my phone calls. You can't just turn up in the middle of the night with bruises and cuts on your face Shane. That's not cool with me. You know better than most of us that it is not safe out there at night.' She was getting angry but he didn't care. Good. She should worry about him. It would mean that she spent less time thinking about her crazy, vampire boss. He didn't respond to her, just kept his eyes on hers. Her eyes used to make him speechless. They were beautiful. But now he could not feel anything except anger.

'Whatever. I am going back to bed. I will see you tomorrow I guess.' She said in defeat. She knew she wasn't going to win against him. He never backed down when he was angry.

He wasn't sure she heard the next words that came out his mouth but it was instinct. The words were true.

'You don't control me. No one does.'

'


	4. Chapter 4

By the time I woke up the next morning Shane had already left. The door to his bedroom was open, the sheets on his bed screwed up. I walked over to the bed and sat down. The pillow still had a dent in it where his head had been. I rubbed my face with my hands. My eyes were swollen from a combination of lack of sleep and crying. I was angry with Shane and when I got angry I cried.

I stood up and left his room, turning back for one last look then shutting the door behind me.

Downstairs I found Michael sitting at the kitchen table reading the newspaper. He looked up when I came in and I gave him a non-convincing smile. Eve had already left for work.

The fresh coffee in the pot was calling to me. I took my favourite mug from the cupboard and poured myself a large mug. I took a big sip and sighed.

'Did you see Shane this morning?' I asked Michael without turning to face him.

'He left for work about an hour ago. Did he not tell you he was working today?'

'Nope.' I turned to face him, 'have you noticed anything different about him lately?'

'He was in a crap mood this morning that's for sure. Couldn't get out of here fast enough. Barely said two words to me, or Eve, just told us he was going to work' Michael put down his newspaper and looked up to her. 'Do you think something is going on?'

'He came home at 3:30 last night, drunk. I confronted him and he just got mad at me. Told me it was none of my business. I think he got into a fight too. He had cuts and bruises on his face. Something is definitely going on.'

'How long has it been since he started acting differently?' Michael was beginning to look concerned. It wasn't an unusual occurrence for Shane to come home drunk but he was never an angry drunk.

'About a month, I guess. When he started going to that gym remember? After he got into that fight with you just before you and Eve told him you were engaged I confronted him. He told me he would stop going. He was fine again for a while and then gradually he just slipped into this haze of anger. Every time I try to talk to him about it he just pushes me away. I'm worried Michael, really worried.'

'I'll talk to him when he gets home. I could try to talk some sense into him.'

'I don't think he will listen. I hate to say it but he still hasn't got over the fact that you are a vampire. I don't want you to get hurt.'

'Just let me try Claire. Please.' He held my eyes. I didn't want to back down but I knew Michael would never give up. Not when it came to the safety of his best friend. I knew it hurt him that Shane still didn't accept him because he was a vampire. I sighed in defeat.

'Fine. Just be careful ok? I don't know how much we can trust him not to hurt you.'

'I will be. Don't worry about me.' He gave me his movie star smile. I felt my shoulders relax a little. Maybe he was right. Maybe Shane would listen to him. 'Don't you have college or something geek?'

'Not today,' I replied 'but I am going to go to the lab. Check Myrnin hasn't burnt the place down after yesterday.' I looked at my watch. 10:30. 'In fact I better get going. You know how he gets when I'm late. Bye Michael.'

'Bye Claire.' I picked up my backpack from the back door, 'oh and be careful out there. Something's not quite right at the moment. There's been lots of vampire disappearances.' He stood up and walked out of the kitchen.

Myrnin wasn't expecting me until 11:30 so I had enough time to do what I needed to do most.

I walked out of the back door. The sun pounded against my face and bare arms. I felt my pockets to make sure I had my phone and keys and set off at a steady pace towards the barbeque shop.

The place was close to empty when I got there. There were a few people sitting at the high table by the window but that was it. Shane's boss was behind the counter looking through his mail. I walked over to him and he looked up. He was middle aged with greying hair and wrinkles forming around his eyes and mouth.

'Can I help you Miss?' he smiled at me warmly.

'Umm I am looking for Shane. Shane Collins?'

'Sorry to disappoint you Hon, but Shane hasn't been here for weeks. I would have fired him already but I can't get hold of him.'

'Wait did you just say he hasn't been here for weeks? He works here. That's impossible.'

'He just stopped turning up one day. A couple of weeks before that he kept coming in late and being rude to customers. We had a few complaints about him; he was on his final warning. I guess this job wasn't for him in the end.'

'But he told my friend he was working today. If he isn't here then where the hell is he?' I was starting to get agitated. Why was he lying to us?

'Well he's not here Hon. But do me a favour would you? Next time you see him tell him he's fired. He has already been replaced.'

I had nothing to say. I was so confused. Where the hell was he? He was lucky enough to get this job in the first place with his reputation. I smiled at the man and walked away, muttering a quiet thank you. I needed to know what was happening with him.

I looked at my phone. No messages. No missed calls. He was obviously hiding something. It was 11:00. I needed to start walking to the lab or I would be late. I picked up my pace, barely paying attention to where I was going.

* * *

The door to the lab was open when I got there. Odd. Usually it is padlocked.

'Hello? Myrnin are you home?' There was no reply. I walked down the steps. I could still smell the faint trace of smoke in the air from yesterday. Myrnin was rushing around the lab, skimming through books then disposing of them in whatever way he thought was necessary.

'Myrnin what's wrong? What's happened?' I asked him while trying to remain calm. He was reaching another level of craziness right now.

He turned to face me, at first it didn't seem like he knew who I was but then a look of recognition crossed his face.

'Claire, my dear, you must leave immediately. There has been an emergency and staying here will put your life at great risk.'

'Wait what? You are making no sense.'

'I wish I could tell you Claire, but I have been sworn to secrecy. If I utter a word it would be simply life threatening. For you and I. You must leave now. And tell your friends they should not leave the house. Not until this has all been sorted.' He pushed me towards the wall. I could see a portal forming.

'Just tell me! You can trust me.' I was panicking now. Whatever it was it was bad. I had rarely seen Myrnin loose his cool like this.

'I am afraid I cannot take that risk. Now leave.' Red was tinting his eyes and his fangs were extending. A shiver ran down my spine. I pictured the living room of the Glass House in my mind and saw it appear in front of me. I felt to hands on my shoulders propel me forward. I fell into the living room.

'Wait! Myrnin!' I shouted. But the portal had already closed. 'Shoot' I pulled out my phone and called Amelie. It rang until it went to voicemail. The same happened with Oliver.

'Michael' I called out, hoping he would still be home. There was no answer. 'Michael!'

My phone screen flashed and Michaels name appeared.

'Michael. What's happening?'

'Claire do not leave the house. Lock the doors and block the portals.'

'What the hell is going on? Just tell me!' I screamed at him down the phone.

'Something very bad has happened. Something that could threaten all of our lives.'


	5. Chapter 5

Jester was lying beneath his feet. That's what you get for demanding a rematch. He had beaten him fair and square. Blood was seeping out of Jester's nose and the gym was quiet. The only thing he could hear was the sound of the overhead fan. He spat the contents of his blood-filled mouth on the floor near Jester's head and he gave him a sly grin.

'I will kill you next time' he stated. His opponent rolled onto his front groaning.

'Shut it, Blood Bank.' The vampire stood up, wiped his face with his arm and walked away towards the fridge that held blood.

The doors at the far end of the hall opened and in walked the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. He was entranced. She was all woman. Her long blonde hair reached the middle of her back. She lifted a long slender arm and ran her red painted fingernails through the silkiness. Her jeans clung tight in all the right places and when she walked her hips swayed to an imaginative beat. She lifted her eyes to him and smiled a smile so bright he felt blinded.

'I am sorry I missed the fight Shane. I had a prior engagement. You won your fight I assume?' He nodded in reply.

'Good!' she smiled again, 'then I am sure you will be willing to celebrate with me later?'

'Later?' He was confused. She laughed slightly.

'Yes. I want to tell you about my new business venture. I am opening a bar. A diner in the day but a bar at night, with an exclusive area for my favourite people.' She looked him up and down and gave him a flirtatious smile. 'I wondered if you would like a guided tour. From myself, of course.'

What could he say? Something inside of him told him it was wrong but his mind was screaming at him to accept her offer. No. She was a vampire. He couldn't trust her. But something inside didn't care.

'Please say yes Shane. I need all the friends I can get right now.' She reached out and touched his arm. He felt electricity course through his veins and all he could think about was her. Glory. He nodded in response.

'Thank you, Shane. I will be back here in a few hours. I shall come and find you. I have a meeting with my security camera installation man. In the mean time I suggest you work on your left hook. Vassily told me it was looking weak earlier. I will see you later.' She leant forward and pressed a soft kiss on his cheek. The feeling of electricity returned and he felt like he was drowning in it. He had never experienced anything like this. She pulled back and winked at him before walking away. He watched her for a few more seconds before turning to see Rad staring at him. The older man walked towards him.

'What the hell are you doing, man? That's a vamp right there. Not to mention you already have a girlfriend.' He was glaring at him but he didn't care.

'That's none of your business, man. Stay the fuck out of it, alright?'

He walked towards the first aid supplies. He needed to strap his wrist. He must have pulled a muscle or something. He grabbed a fresh sports bottle and took a long sip taking in nearly half the contents, but he felt instantly refreshed and his wrist wasn't troubling him so much anymore.

What Rad had said was playing with his mind. What about Claire? Why didn't he feel concerned about her anymore? Why did he not care that she was hurting because of him? But he couldn't answer any of his own questions, so he pushed the thought to the back of his mind, walked over to a punching bag and began hitting it until all thoughts of his girlfriend left his mind.

* * *

Glory returned around 7:00 pm. By this time he had had three more protein drinks and was pushing himself to the limit while lifting weights. Rad hadn't approached him again but he had received a few confused glances from the man. Sandro had come over calling him a 'lucky son of a bitch' for getting lucky with someone like that but he had just shrugged the comment off and carried on punching the bag in front of him.

When Glory walked through the door he felt every nerve in his body become alert. She was slowly becoming more and more dominant in his life, occupying his every thought. If he wasn't thinking about the fight he was thinking about her. It wasn't love. It was admiration.

She was talking and laughing with some of the newly recruited men. He felt a wave of jealously run through him. Why was she talking to them and not him? She looked over at him and winked. That relaxed him a little. He stood up from his position under the weights and wiped his forehead with the hem of his shirt. He was dripping with sweat and could feel himself overheating. He peeled the shirt over his head, revealing his taught, muscular stomach.

Glory finished her conversation with the men and walked over to him. The men stared after her, admiring everything.

'Shane,' she purred, 'I am so glad you are still here. I just need to talk to Vassily and then we can go. Why don't you go and shower? I will not be long.'

She ran a painted fingernail down the contours of his chest before strutting towards the office door and he walked towards the shower block, on edge the whole way.

* * *

The bar Glory had bought was directly opposite Common Grounds. From the front windows he could see Oliver pulling espresso shots behind the counter. If anyone saw him here…

'So the back room through there is going to be a VIP area with a separate bar. There is going to be a stage and a cage so fights can take place. Invitation only of course. There will also be poker and blackjack tables. I was thinking of putting a few slot machines in the main bar area. Like Vegas in Morganville. There will obviously be some entertainment' she emphasised the word and winked at him, 'for you men.'

The bar stretched along the right hand side of the room. It already had vodka and scotch bottles lined ready to be mounted.

'Do you want a drink?'

'Scotch' he replied, developing a sudden thirst. She walked behind the bar and grabbed two tumblers and an unopened bottle. She filled both glasses halfway and passed one to him.

'To new beginnings.' She said, a smile playing on her lips. He grunted in reply before drinking the contents and placing it down on the bar. When he looked up Glory was smiling at him. He raised his eyebrows in question.

'I need to tell you something Shane. I am not the only person behind this bar. There is another vampire who is very much interested in meeting with you. You are a good fighter Shane and you bring in a good profit. Would you be willing to meet with him?'

He looked up at her unsure of what she meant. But her eyes dazzled him. They seemed to call out to him.

'Who is it?'

'Just an old friend. Nothing to worry about. We will compensate you, of course.' He didn't reply, just picked up his drink and finished it. 'You don't have to give me your answer now. I will give you some time to think about it. He said he will wait.'

She refilled his glass and they both at in silence for a few minutes. Glory walked around to the same side of the bar as him.

'Shane' she growled seductively, 'why are you being so quiet? Don't you want to talk to me?'

He didn't have a chance to reply before her lips were on his. He was swept into the most passionate kiss of his life. It wasn't supposed to be like this was it? All these emotions at once? He had never felt this with Claire. She was just a girl. Glory was a woman. He carried on kissing her, every sense aware of her. Her smell was dark and carried a hint of fruitiness. She tasted like the darkest chocolate. His hands found her waist and she felt softer than he would have ever expected. The sound of the soft moans escaping her lips aroused him more than ever before. He felt all his anger turn into lust. He knew he was cheating on Claire but he didn't care. What he was experiencing now was so much better. Glory pulled away from him, her breath faster than usual.

'Say you will fight for my friend and me. Professionally. You will be compensated of course.' He didn't think he could muster the energy to say anything. Instead he just nodded. She smiled a beautiful smile, sighed and dipped her head back towards his.


	6. Chapter 6

'Where the hell is he?' I shouted; my voice filled with worry and rage. 'He hasn't been home in a week. No one has seen him. No one has heard from him.'

'Claire I am sure he is fine. He is a big boy he can look after himself.' Eve said wearily. The look on her face told me that she was getting tired of my constant complaining but was just as worried about him as I am.

'Have you forgotten where we live Eve? He could be dead in a ditch for all we know.'

'Have you called the hospital? The police station?' Michael asked.

'Yeah. Nothing. No one can help me.'

'Claire if you want me to, I will go out and look for him' Eve offered, trying to give me some peace of mind.

'NO' Michael screamed, making both Eve and I jump. 'Amelie told us not to leave the house. And she was serious, guys. Something pretty big must be going on. No one is walking out that front door.'

'Come on Michael, it's been a week. Everything must be sorted now.'

Eve didn't know. I sneaked a glance at Michael. His jaw was hard. He had told me he didn't want to worry her and I agreed. The less people who knew what was going on out there, the better.

'It's not safe out there Eve. I can't risk you going out there. I am sure Shane is staying with a friend or something. He has common sense. But I will go and look for him. I'm less breakable.'

Before we could say anything, he was out of the back door and was starting his car engine. I wanted to stop him but I couldn't. It wasn't safe out there. Not when he was missing.

'I am going to get the mail. I have cabin fever.' Eve shuffled towards the front door and I followed her to watch out the window and make sure nothing happened. Oliver had given her time off of work while it was so dangerous and the TPU coffee shop was closed for the summer.

Nothing happened and Eve seemed to be aware of any danger that could approach, constantly checking over her shoulder. She made it through the front door slamming the dead bolt across.

'Bills, bills, bills, junk, junk' Eve murmured to herself while discarding the mail she read onto the floor. 'Wait. Claire I think you better see this.'

I walked over to her and glanced at the card in her hand. She passed it to me. It was thick and glossy with a picture of a blonde woman. The title read 'Glory's' and it advertised a bar and diner with 'a VIP area for Morganville's finest'. I turned the card over. There was a list of opening times and a map that showed it was directly opposite Common Grounds. The card stated that the grand opening was tomorrow.

'That' said Eve pointing to the blonde woman on the card, 'is the bitch that was all over Michael at that party. Her name is Gloriana and God does she have a way with men. When Michael saw her he was hypnotized I swear.'

I walked toward the kitchen still looking at the card. I felt like Gloriana was staring right at me. She had an almost smug look on her face.

'Claire… um I hate to say this but when I went to the gym that time when it had just opened, she was there. I think she might help run the place.'

'The gym? The one Shane used to go to?' I looked up at her. Her face looked almost pitiful.

'Yeah. Claire honey, I hate to say it but do you think Shane is still connected to the gym?'

'That's exactly what I think Eve. And I am going to prove it.'

I stood up and headed out of the kitchen.

'Claire wait!' Eve rushed after her 'Michael said we couldn't leave the house remember.'

'Lucky for me, I have an alternative way of transportation.' I was determined to get answers. 'Eve stay here and wait for Michael. I have to go and talk to someone.'

I focused on the wall in front of me and envisioned Myrnin's lab in my mind. It appeared in front of me and I stepped through the portal, desperate for answers.

* * *

The lab was empty. Myrnin was out doing God knows what. But he wasn't the person I needed to see.

'Frank?' I called out. Every time I thought about him I felt a wave of guilt. Shane still didn't know and would probably never know if Frank got his way. A 2D image of him appeared in front of me. He was tall, broad and looked a lot younger than when he had been alive. But he still had the giant scar that stretched down the length of his face.

'I need your help.' I stated, keeping my voice firm.

'And why should I help you, Claire?' a sly grin formed on the man's face.

'Because it's to do with Shane.'

'He hasn't got bored of you has he? I can't say that I am surprised.'

'Shut up Frank. He is missing. No one has seen him in a week.'

'Maybe he left town. I wouldn't blame him if he did.'

'That is what I am hear to ask you. You get alerted every time someone enters or leaves the town. So tell me Frank. Is he still in Morganville? Because considering the present situation, he could be dead. So find him Frank. Before someone else does.' My eyes never left his hologram stare. He knew I was serious.

'OK I will run a search. But only because it is Shane.'

'Good. I will come back in a couple of hours to see if you have anything'

With that I turned and walked away, back towards the portal.

'Oh and Claire. Don't come crying to me if I find out he has someone else.'

I didn't reply. I just focused on the living room of the Glass House and saw it appear in front of me. Without turning back, I returned to my home.

* * *

Eve was sat on the couch when I walked through the portal. She turned back and looked at me.

'Where the hell did you go?'

'I just needed to talk to someone Eve. It doesn't matter anyway I doubt they will be able to help.' I walked into the kitchen. There was spaghetti cooking on the stove. The advertisement for Glory's was on the kitchen table. I picked it up and examined it again. I had a gut feeling that she had something to do with Shane's disappearance.

I sat down in my chair and felt a vibration in my pocket. I pulled out my cell phone and looked down at the caller ID. Unknown. That was odd. I pressed the answer button and put the phone to my ear.

'Hello?'

'Is this Claire Danvers?'

'Yes. Who is calling?'

'My name is Corey Hobbs. I have some information on your boyfriend I think you might be interested in.'


End file.
